Child Brain Development Is Under Your Control

by: Cynthia Beck

We as parents sometimes don't stop to realize how important the very earliest influences are to a baby. Children learn from the moment that they're born, and even before that. Parents can aid in child brain development by engaging their baby early in various activities.

Some of these opportunities are part of parent and child relationships that occur naturally. Recognizing how your interactions with your little one helps child brain development will help you understand how your little one is learning.

Babies are making constant connections in their brains as they interact with their surroundings. Part of child brain development is due to a type of chemical communication in the neurotransmitters in the mind.

The synapses in the brain fire information between one another. The mind is creating neurological pathways that are the foundation of child brain development.

As you engage your little on in various activities these neurological pathways are being created. The pathways can be considered a road to future learning.

The more pathways built in child brain development, the more venues of learning the child has. Parents can make a conscious effort in building these neurological pathways for their little ones.

Building this foundation for learning begins from the get-go. An infant’s mind is like a sponge and the more sensory input you give the infant from head to toe, the more pathways that will be built.

An infant’s mind will grow in child brain development any time you sing to him, massage him, and even engage in the baby talk that gets on every one else's nerves.

Baby talk is valuable because the infant’s brain will fire different information between the synapses through the varying tones. As the adult’s voice gets higher, different chemicals are at work, aiding in child brain development.

The child brain development is also stimulated by music as well as other sensory input like touch and sight. Music, massages and images are wonderful tools for building a smart baby. And a wide variety of all these inputs is always best.

Even simple games like peek-a-boo help the little one understand object permanence. When an object is out of sight, a baby at a certain developmental level will think that it no longer exists. Peek-a-boo is so enchanting to a baby because she is gaining an entirely new awareness that she was lacking before.

You also need to give your little one downtime as well. It is possible to over stimulate your child and this can be harmful. Just pay attention - he'll give you signs that he has had enough interaction by averting his eyes or even crying.

Child brain development is a fascinating and complicated subject. However, following your instincts often provides a great foundation for your own little one’s learning. You'll begin imagining all those neurons firing and making important connections.

Cynthia Beck is married with three little girls. She enjoys writing about and sharing her experiences with babies, parenthood and self-improvement.